In The Underground Classroom
by DarkWind13
Summary: Zim and Dib find themselves in the Underground Classrooms and are forced to work together to get out. Disclaimer: I don't own Invader Zim. ZADF
1. Chapter 1

~Disclaimer, I don't own Invader Zim or any of its characters. Also, this fanfiction may be dark so read at your own risk. I realized I made a few mistakes on the last one, there was an unfinished sentence and a small grammatical error, so this is the fix, for anyone who wants to know.~

Dib was drawing pictures of aliens instead of taking notes and Zim was screaming about how it was 'impossible' that he would have gotten an answer wrong.

"YOU LIE! I am the mighty ZIM. I cannot be wrong!" Zim yelled. Dib chuckled at him while glared at Zim.

"What's the matter, alien; you can't accept that you have the wrong answer?" Dib laughed.

"The mighty Zim is never wrong! I AM ZIM!" Zim replied.

"Dib, since you think Zim not knowing the correct answer is so entertaining, why don't you tell the class the answer?" snarled. Dib blushed.

"Can you repeat the question?" Dib asked shyly.

"I've had enough of you two shouting and not paying attention in this class. None of the other little nightmares talk in class." Mrs. Bitters snarled.

"They're probably afraid of you." Dib mumbled.

"Zim fears no one!" Zim yelled, hearing Dib's comment. Mrs. Bitters stood taller and all the students, including Zim and Dib, fell into a scared silence.

"I've had enough of the two. I'm sending both of you to the underground classroom." Mrs. Bitters growled. She pressed a button and a trapdoor fell under Zim and Dib's desks and they fell though.

Zim and Dib found themselves in what looked like an old abandoned classroom. Cobwebs and mold covered the walls, the desks and chairs were covered in moss, Many of the desks were had tics as if to keep track of time and other then Zim, Dib and the insects that covered the old classroom, it was devoid of life.

"It doesn't look like this place been used in years, but that's ridiculous, Mrs. Bitters just sent someone here a month ago."

"Eh? I deserve better than this. I AM ZIM!" Zim yelled at the filthy room. Dib began to look around as Zim tried to clean off a spot for himself.

"When I'm ruler of Earth, I'll destroy this building first! If it hasn't been destroyed during the invasion." Zim yelled.

"Why do you even want to invade Earth anyway?" Dib asked.

"To please my Tallest, of course." Zim replied as if Dib asked the worlds stupidest question. Dib scoffed.

"You're invading a faraway planet because your leaders told you to?" He asked incredulously.

"I will be the best invader!" Zim announced.

"If we ever get out of here." Dib sighed.

"You speak nonsense, human Dib! This hideous Skool wouldn't keep us here forever!" Zim objected.

"Maybe, I'm probably just being paranoid." Dib replied and sat down in one of the old chairs. They waited, glaring at each other.

"The mighty Zim had enough of this foolishness!" Zim announced and pulled out his communicator. "Gir! Come in Gir!" Zim called then groaned in frustration.

"This inferior human room does not have the capabilities for communication!" He groaned.

"Maybe they did that on purpose, so no one could call for help." Dib suggested.

"Nonsense, if it was a trap to block communications, my mighty Irken technology would be able to get though it!" Zim replied. Dib sighed. He didn't want to admit his concerns to Zim, but something about the underground classroom seemed off. Dib looked around and decided that instead of just focusing on the paranormal, he'd try to find more info on the underground classroom. He opened drawers and checked every inch of the classroom, while Zim just sat back and mocked Dib. Minutes turned to hours and soon it was 8:30 pm.

"Looking for something, Dib-stink?" Zim asked, now curious about Dib's lengthy search.

"There's nothing school related in here, it's like no one actually uses this room." Dib muttered.

"Paranoid Dib," Zim scoffed, walking to the door, "as you can see we can leave any time." Zim tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge.

"This door isn't opening." Zim admitted, he tried pulling harder but it didn't work.

"Let me try that, Spaceboy!" Did said, pushing Zim out of the way. He tried the door and found that it was locked.

"The door's locked!" Dib moaned.

"Eh? Why?" Zim asked. Dib glared at Zim, he's such an idiot! He thought.

"Zim, we're trapped here and I don't think they ever plan to let us out!" Dib explained.

~Alright, that was chapter one, but there'll be more. ~


	2. Chapter 2

"I AM ZIM! They cannot treat me like this!" Zim yelled, banging at the door. Dib stood back in disbelief, not at Zim but at the Skool, Dib knew that the conditions there were bad, but he never would have believed that the Skool would have this room and actually use it.

"I can't believe I'm saying this but we need to work together if we want to get out of this mess." Dib said reluctantly.

"Yes, then I will destroy the underground classrooms and take over the Earth!" Zim announced before laughing evilly.

"Not if I have anything to say about it, Zim!" Dib replied, then sighed, "let's just focus on getting out of here."

Zim inspected the lock. In contrast to the old, run-down room, the lock was very complicated and high-tech, even for Irken standards.

"There must be something they really don't want us to see." Dib muttered, looking over Zim's shoulder.

"This will go faster if you back up and let me do my genius investigating." Zim replied. Dib hesitated, he did want to see what was going on with the lock, but decided that getting out was more important so he let Zim work and continued the investigation of the classroom. A few hours after that, Zim hit the lock in frustration.

"It requires a strange type of key to open it! None of my Irken lock-picking skills are working!" He shouted.

"I'm sure Gaz and your weird little robot-dog thing will figure out where we are." Dib reassured. He decided against voicing the one concern that was on his mind about his statement, would Gaz care?

"My Tallest won't stand for this treatment of their best invader! The people who made this room, including that horrible Mrs. Bitters for sending me here will pay!" Zim shouted.

"What, is that after the invasion?" Dib asked, too tired to argue with Zim.

"Eh? Why are you acting strange, wait do you now require what the humans call 'sleep'?" Zim laughed.

"Zim, it must be... well I can't tell the time because there's no clock in here and I didn't bring my watch, but it must be pretty late. I need sleep to think clearly." Dib explained.

"Fine, Dib-stink, sleep if you must, I will figure out a way out of this horrible room." Zim replied.

The night quickly grew cold and Dib began to shake in his sleep. Without thinking, Zim pulled and Invader-issue emergency blanket and placed it over Dib, he denied to himself that it was out of compassion for Dib, but out of the fact that he wanted to be the one who defeated Dib in the end, not the cold. Zim made a bit of progress on the lock, but not enough to open the door.

Dib woke up the next morning and noticed the blanket put over him.

"Zim, did you give me this?" Dib asked, noticing the Irken symbol.

"Yes, Dib-stink, I did. Not because I care for your well being or anything, I just didn't want to be trapped here alone." Zim replied.

"Right, well, thanks anyways Zim." Dib replied, carefully folding the blanket and handing it to Zim.

"Eh? Well, it benefited Zim!" Zim replied, he didn't want to admit it, not even to himself, but he felt protective of Dib, like he wanted him to be alright. The two of them walked to the door and continued working, though it was obvious that something was on Dib's mind.

"What are you thinking about?" Zim asked, "Tell me now!"

"Nothing, we just need to get out of here." Dib replied hastily, however, Zim noticed the problem.

"Oh yeah, humans require nourishment often to survive." Zim said slowly, "That makes Irkens superior."

"So, we can live for ten minutes without help from some kind of biological computer!" Dib yelled angrily at Zim, who replied by pushing Dib.

"You dare insult the race that will soon rule your filthy planet!" Zim yelled.

"Zim, you'll never be able to take over the world. I don't even know why I think of you as such a threat, you're not good at invading." Dib said-matter-of-factly. This made Zim gasp.

"YOU LIE!" he yelled. "There is no way I could be anything less than amazing!" Zim then remembered the Tallest's objections to giving him a mission and the "advanced" SIR unit. True, he wouldn't give Gir up even if he had the option, though there was no way he'd tell the little robot that. Zim didn't voice his second thoughts, however Dib seemed to know.

"Maybe if this whole invader thing doesn't work out, you can be a hero." Dib suggested.

"Maybe." Zim replied.

~That was it for chapter 2, hope you enjoyed it. There will be more.~


	3. Chapter 3

Zim and Dib were inspecting the door.

"I got it; we need to apply the right pressure on the door and the inside of the lock mechanism at the same time." Dib explained. Zim used his PAK legs on the lock mechanism as Dib pressed on the door. Finally it opened. Dib and Zim shared a victory smile before going into the hallway. The hallway looked in the same state as the classroom, there were many doors, likely leading into other empty classrooms.

"Which way should we go?" Dib asked.

"This way." Zim declared, pointing down an empty hallway. Dib peered though it.

"How can you tell?" He asked.

"You dare question me?" Zim yelled in reply and started down the hallway. Dib followed him. It wasn't too long before they heard voices.

"The principle wants the students removed from the underground classroom before the inspector arrives." One of the voices said sternly.

"Alright, but I don't know if they've been there long enough to..." The other voice pointed out.

"Just hide them!" The first voice interrupted. Zim and Dib ran and hid in another empty classroom.

"I knew it, the Skool planned this." Dib panted.

"Those horrible humans." Zim muttered.

"It's not any worse than what the Irkens would do if they managed to invade Earth!" Dib argued.

"Eh? Well. YOU LIE!" Zim retorted, though he was clearly having second thoughts about his involvement in Operation Impending Doom ll.

"We'd better hide here, I think the guys we overheard were talking about us." Dib whispered to Zim.

"Dib, what do you suppose the human was going to say when he said 'I don't know if they've been there long enough to...'?" Zim asked in a whisper.

"I think they were waiting for us to... starve." Dib explained slowly.

"And where are the other children that were sent here?" Zim asked.

"I don't know, Zim!" Dib whispered harsher than he intended. He was just so frustrated over his lack of answers. He wanted to be a great detective, ok he mainly focused on the paranormal, but still, he was supposed to be able to figure this out. Zim and Dib were silent as the two strangers walked past their room. Zim could hear Dib's heart pounding and Zim was just as scared.

"Come on, Zim, we have to get out of here!" Dib whispered urgently, pulling on Zim's arm. Zim followed him down the hallway.

"I thought you said Gaz and Gir would notice that we're not home by now." Zim whispered to Dib.

"Well, I guess I was wrong so if we don't find our own way out of here, we're done for." Dib whispered in reply, maybe he should have been gentler to Zim but he couldn't just sit back and wait for help to come. Experience told him that he couldn't wait for others to help him; if he did, Zim might have taken over the Earth by now. After a bit of walking, they found a strange door and walked though it, soon, they found themselves outside of the Skool, it was night, but they had no way of knowing the exact time.

"I guess that's the end of our truce, Dib. I'll give you a head start." Zim announced.

"Zim, wait," Dib said, "I think we should work together, we need to convince others what's going on and no one would believe me but we can find proof so no one else goes there; then we can go back to hating each other."

"Why would I help the other humans?" Zim scoffed. "I laugh at that very notion. HA!"

"Think about it, Zim, the more people who get sent to the underground classroom, the less people the Irkens would be able to rule or to do whatever it is you guys would do." Dib argued. This made Zim pause, Dib's logic did make sense, he wanted to be known as the best, he couldn't let the humans take the credit for their own destruction!

"Alright, I'll help you find proof of that horrible classroom. I'm not doing it to be nice though, it just benefits me. I AM ZIM!" Zim agreed.

"Great, we'll meet tomorrow at 7:00 before class starts." Dib planned.

"Alright, now be gone. I must return to base and do my very important invader things." Zim said, though he mainly wanted to return to base because he missed Gir, as he walked away.

"Mastah, you're back!" Gir yelled as Zim entered the base.

"Yes, yes, I have returned from discovering a horrible truth about the Skool." Zim explained. "Are there any messages from the Tallest; surely they wondered where their greatest invader was?"

"No, you missed the Scary Monkey show though." Gir replied. Zim was about to call the Tallest, he never missed a report, but what Dib said about the Irkens, the fact that there was an underground classroom, and his fears of what will happen upon seeing them tomorrow drained him. He spend the rest of the night watching old re-runs with Gir.

~There will be more, reviews are appreciated, but you don't have to. :) ~


	4. Chapter 4

Zim and Dib met in the skool yard, neither wanted to be the first to voice their fear of meeting Mrs. Bitters again.

"So, Dib-stink, how are we going to prove that this place is as horrible as it is." Zim asked impatiently. Dib thought for a moment.

"Well, was probably told that we escaped, so we should act natural and go to class as usual, she'll likely send us back there and we'll be able to take a video of it by this hidden camera." He explained, showing a small camera that could easily go unnoticed.

"No! I will not be a victim and the other students will not see their future ruler as such! I will go and force her to confess!" Zim yelled and ran into the building. Dib followed behind, trying to call him to his senses. He stopped when he saw Zim entering the same room that was in.

"You are supposed to be in the underground classroom!" snarled.

"It was just a hideous trap that you used to trap others in! Admit it!" Zim yelled in response.

"Yes, it was my one suggestion that the Skool actually accepted." Mrs. Bitters replied without a hint of remorse.

"You Li- wait, you're confessing, just like that?" Zim asked.

"Sure, seeing that you'll be sent there again, with no hope of escape." Mrs. Bitters snarled. Zim tried backing out of the classroom, but Mrs. Bitters was faster and locked the door.

"You leave me no choice, human," Zim shouted as he activated his PAK legs, "I command you to let me, and I guess Filthy-Earth-Boy-Dib, go!" Dib tried to open the door to help Zim, just for this fight, but the door was locked.

"I have to tell Zim's weird robot dog thing!" Dib shouted to himself as he ran to Zim's base, he knew Gir would let him in. Gir didn't seem to know that Zim and Dib were fighting, it was better that way- For Dib at least. Dib got to the base and knocked on the door. Gir answered it in his dog costume.

"Woof! I can bark like a doggie!" Gir greeted.

"Yeah, yeah, that's very cool, but Zim in is trouble and needs our help." Dib explained.

"What's wrong with Mastah?" Gir asked.

"He's going to be imprisoned in an abandoned classroom, we were sent there yesterday but managed to escape. Can you call Zim's leaders and ask for help?"

"Computer, call the Tallest! And find a picture of a monkey!" Gir commanded as Dib hid to avoid being seen.

"My Mastah needs you! He's gonna be trapped. I want Zim back!" Gir wailed just as the Tallest accepted the transmission.

"How do we put this..." Purple started.

"Zim's mission was a lie, he's a defect, and you're nothing but a broken SIR unit." Red explained.

"Ohh, painful. I like it." Purple agreed.

"If Zim escapes, and let's hope he doesn't, tell him never to call us!" Red finished and ended the transmission.

"Aww, Zim got fired. That means he has more time to make biscuits!" Gir stated.

"Focus, if we don't get Zim out of there, he won't be able to make biscuits!" Dib replied.

"What's the plan?" Gir asked, going into duty mode.

"Well, since Zim ruined my-"

"Zim ruins nothing! He's a good Mastah. I love him!" Gir wailed.

"Alright, since Zim's plan didn't work and as a result, they'd be onto my plan, we'd have to sneak into the underground classroom." Dib planned.

"Yay, sneaking!" Gir cheered. Dib and Gir snuck down to the underground part of the school.

"Aww, it's all messy." Gir noted then began to clean.

"Hey, focus!" Dib whispered harshly. Gir entered duty mode and continued looking for Zim. There were guards blocking one room.

"That must be where Zim is," Dib whispered, "I need you to cause a distraction."

"Yay!" Gir yelled as he ran in front of the guards and began to dance. The guards marched to Gir and tried to catch him, but Gir was just two quick. Dib snuck into the classroom and saw Zim looking defeated, he suddenly perked up when he saw Dib.

"Well, my plan almost worked. I got put here, I just needed the camera." Zim said trying to cover up his mistake. Gir ran in.

"I locked the guards in a closet!" He cheered happily.

"Gir? What are you doing here?" Zim asked.

"I'm helping Dib save you." Gir replied proudly.

"The mighty Zim needs no help! But since you're here, Dib, activate your camera, then we shall escape, you'll be able to prove to everyone how cruel this place is and I'll tell my Tallest-" Zim started, but was interrupted by Gir.

"They don't want you to call anymore!" Gir called.

"You lie! I knew you weren't working right!" Zim yelled.

"He's telling the truth." Dib interjected, "I was listening in on the conversation. Wait a minute, my camera was still on, I could prove it to you." Dib pulled out his camera and used his laptop that he often carries around to play the video of the Gir's conversation with the Tallest.

"This must be some kind of lie or a trick. I'm not a defect." Zim muttered, defeated.

"I'm broken though, aren't I?" Gir asked in a way that broke both Zim and Dib's heart.

"Maybe we all are, maybe that what makes us different." Dib muttered.

"We gonna be heroes?" Gir asked.

"I don't know, Gir." Zim sighed.

"Why not, Zim, the three of us could stop the Underground classrooms and take a stand against everything we find wrong." Dib encouraged.

"If this video is true, then I'm just a defect, I wouldn't be able to help anyone." Zim thought out loud.

"But you're not a defect Mastah! It's my fault you weren't successful in the mission!" Gir argued.

"Guys, we need to work together, none of us are accepted as normal, but we can still be great. We need to believe that." Dib argued.

"No, Dib, you need to believe that! You spent all your time trying to prove to everyone that you're not crazy; that you can do great things!" Zim retaliated. The room grew quiet. The silence was unbearable for them. Zim instantly regretted what he said, Dib was hurt by how accurate Zim's comment was and Gir, for once, had nothing he could reply.

"Are we all broken?" The little robot asked in a tiny voice.

"Dib, I..." Zim started but found that he didn't know what to say.

"You don't have to say anything, Zim, you're right!" Dib replied, harshly. SUddenly Mrs. Bitters and the principle came in.

"You kids are in so much trouble..." The principle said, they knew that it was fight or stay here forever.

"So, this is it. We have to prove ourselves or this is our last fight." Dib whispered to Zim and Gir.

~Alright, that was it for this chapter, there'll be more coming soon.~


	5. Chapter 5

Zim, Dib and Gir glared at .

"You better let us go." Zim growled.

"I don't think so, you two have been a thorn in my side for too long. I don't know why you decided to bring that horrible dog-thing with you but he'll suffer the same punishment as you two." Mrs. Bitters argued.

"Don't hurt Gir!" Zim yelled, then covered his mouth, surprised by his outburst. Everyone turned to stare at Zim, who shifted uncomfortably.

"Mastah loves me;" Gir asked Zim, "even though I'm broken?"

Zim didn't know how to react to Gir's question so he just glared at .

"You know, there could be many legal problems if people find out that the skool traps people in a hidden room." Dib pointed out.

"Yes, are there could be many problems if people discover that Zim is indeed an alien." Mrs. Bitters snarled.

"Eh, how do you know... I mean YOU LIE!" Zim yelled. gave a cruel laugh.

"If you knew all this time that I was right, why didn't you do anything about it?" Dib asked.

"We wanted Zim to win." The principle replied. Zim activated his PAK legs.

"I'm not an invader anymore. I... I don't know that I am, but I know I'm your greatest nightmare. I AM ZIM!" He yelled and attacked them. Dib shook his head at Zim's stupidity but followed his teammate into the fight. Gir ran the other way and before long a loud,wailing sound was heard.

"Gir's activating his alarm." Zim whispered to Dib.

"Zim, who would help us? The alarm wouldn't do absolutely nothing!" Dib yelled.

"Would your sibling not assist you?" Zim asked.

"No, she doesn't care." Dib replied. The principle smiled cruelly.

"Gaz never has been very well behaved, has she?" He asked Dib, who remained silent.

"You know, she kept insisting on playing her little video game in class and I had no choice but to send her here earlier today." The principle continued. Dib's face paled and he instantly began to look in nearby classrooms for her.

"Oh, you'll be locked here so you'll have plenty of time to find her." He stated and left the room with Mrs. Bitters.

"What kind of ominous threat is that? 'You'll have plenty of time to find her'?" Dib laughed. His laughter was cut short when they heard the sound of machines humming from above.

"Dib, what's going on?" Zim asked as the noise became louder and closer. Dib fell to his knees.

"I... need to find Gaz and you need to call Gir and both of you need to get out of here as soon as possible." Dib breathed out as he stood up, shaking.

"I'm not moving until you tell me what's going on." Zim argued.

"Zim, they're sealing off the underground classrooms, if we don't get out of here soon, we won't be able to get out of here at all." Dib explained breathlessly.

Zim's eyes widened in horror as he activated his communicator.

"Gir, there's been a change of plans, we need you to help us find Dib's scary sister!" Zim commanded.

"You're not leaving? Are you crazy?" Dib yelled.

"We promised that we'll team up to face this. I may be a... defect, but I am loyal, I have to help." Zim said quietly it was almost lost in the noise of the machines.

"Alright then, let's go!" Dib replied, knowing that arguing would waste valuable time. They spoke as little as possible, for the sound of the machines would cover any sound they made. Dirt fell from where they were preparing to seal the exit. Zim, Gir and Dib opened one door after another and it was Dib who finally found Gaz.

Gaz looked up startled, but was clearly trying to hide her fear.

"They locked me inside this room and what are they doing, making all that noise?" Gaz asked.

"They're sealing us in here, Gaz, we need to hurry to get out!" Dib urged. Gaz nodded and followed his lead.

"Why did you save me?" Gaz asked.

"Look, I know we don't usually... well really never get along, but you're still my sister." Dib replied as they ran towards the stairs that were just to escape yesterday's attack. What was once an abandoned stairway was now a wall, blocked with cement.

"No." Dib moaned as he banged on the cement that blocked the exit. Gaz silently glared at the door. Zim put his arm on Dib's shoulder to reassure him. Though it was easier for Zim to accept the new condition for he needs less oxygen and food than his human friend and his sister, he knew the pain he must feel.

"We need to go to the other side of the building, there might be a way out there because, they might not have sealed it off if they started here." Dib thought aloud. The team ran to the other side without inspected the walls for any weaknesses.

"What made that hole." Dib wondered as he noticed a hole in the wall, knowing that it might show a way out of here.

"I made it like a doggie. I want to be a good doggie and please my mastah and I want to eat tacos." Gir rambled.

"You could dig though walls this whole time, Gir?" Zim asked incredulously.

"Yes..." Gir replied.

"Gir, can you dig a tunnel though the wall and get back to ground level?" Zim asked.

"Yep!" Gir agreed enthusiastically. There was a long pause with Gir staring at Zim.

"Gir! Why are you not working on the tunnel that you said you could!" Zim yelled.

"Oh, Do you want me to make the tunnel?" Gir asked innocent. Zim face-palmed.

"Yes, Gir, I want you to make the tunnel as quickly as you can." Zim instructed.

"Okay!" Gir agreed and began to dig.

"How long will this take?" Gaz complained after a few minutes.

"Soon." Gir promised. Gir began digging faster, wanting to impress Zim. Dirt flew into the underground classroom but the only one to complain about that fact was Gaz, who was annoyed that the dirt made her lose her game."

"Is this a bad time to say that I can't get though the sealing stuff the Skool made? It's even harder that wood or dirt." Gir mentioned.

"Then dig faster so we can escape before that area's sealed as well!" Zim yelled. Gir continued to dig.

"Done, but there's a big machine coming." Gir reported.

"Alright, Gir, climb outside, Dib, Gaz, you follow behind. I'll be right behind you." Zim led. Dib nodded and climbed quickly, hoping that there would be time for all four of them to escape. Gir was already outside, Gaz climbed out of the hole with surprising speed and Dib climbed out just before the machine sealed the last exit- leaving Zim trapped. Dib and Gir began to cry and even Gaz looked upset by the turn of events.

"You can stay with us Gir. The Skool will pay." Gaz promised. Dib nodded.

"We'll find a way to get you out of there, Zim!" He called, trying in vain to find an exit. Dib knew he had underestimated Zim. The alien wasn't just some kind of crazy invader, he was loyal to a fault. Dib had a new respect for Zim.

"Let's go home, we need to find out more about this stuff the Skool uses if we plan to get Zim out. We can't do anything here." Gaz replied. Dib nodded and wiped a tear from his eye.

"You're right, Gaz, let's go." Dib agreed. Dib, Gir and Gaz slowly made their way home noticing how the clouds made everything look gloomy.

Zim hit the seal in frustration, knowing that any escape was now unlikely. Zim bit his lip. He saw this coming, that's why he insisted for everyone else to go first. For once, Zim wanted to be more than a defect. He knew what price his brave actions cost him. He would likely be here for the rest of his life.

"_Forever I stay, so my friends can be free." _ He wrote on one of the walls using the dirt and his finger.

Zim reread the message he left for whoever finds this place. The sight of the words made him cry (He wasn't even sure Irkens could cry because those emotions were frowned upon on Irk and he never felt the need to.) To the trapped Irken, the words seemed like an ending. Not daring to move, he looked at his oversized tomb.

~Alright, there will be more. As usual, reviews are appreciated.~


	6. Chapter 6

~Thank you everyone for reading this, as stated earlier this can be pretty dark and that will continue here to so please let me know if anything is too troubling but it was made to be a bit upsetting. This is probably the darkest chapter in the story because it involves the whole school.~

Dib was sitting at home, still upset over what happened to Zim, a few days have passed yet Dib nor his father, who he had convinced to help by claiming that it was scientific curiosity, had managed to find a way to undo the sealant that held Zim prisoner.

"You're not being annoying." Gaz complained.

"Zim was my enemy, but then I realized that he could be a friend, but we can't be friends if I don't find a way to free him." Dib explained.

"Whatever, I mean, Zim made the choice to let us go first." Gaz shrugged.

"You're right, Gaz," Dib thought a loud, "Zim made the choice to do this for us, I can't just sit here feeling sorry for him, I have to do... Something!"

Gaz put down her game.

"I'll help you, this time, just because I want the Skool to pay." She announced.

"I'm gonna help to!" Gir cheered, "We're gonna free my mastah then we can all make biscuits and be best friends."

Gaz, Gir and Dib left for the Skool, Dib and Gir were heading to the now-sealed-off underground classroom and Gaz walked towards the entrance to the teacher's lounge.

"Gaz, what are you doing?" Dib whispered, not wanting to get caught.

"I'm getting my revenge, you two just do, whatever you're planning to do. It's not like they can send me to the underground classroom." Gaz whispered back then ran into the teacher's lounge before Dib could object.

"Zim! Can you hear me?" Dib called.

"Yes, did you find a way to free me from this prison?" Zim asked hopefully.

"No, not yet but we're close." Dib promised.

Zim was silent, he knew that Irkens need some food to live and if there wasn't enough in the underground classroom...

"Keep trying." Zim replied curtly, trying to hide the fear in his voice.

"I will, Zim." Dib promised.

"I'll keep helping to! I've been helping Dib!" Gir shouted.

"He's actually been a big help." Dib said, knowing that the idea of Gir being helpful would calm Zim down a bit.

"That's good, Gir." Zim replied as Dib took a fresh sample of the sealant after finding that none of the chemicals that he brought from his dad's lab had worked. Soon after, Gaz and Dib were getting ready to leave, but Gir was crying over where Zim was trapped.

"I don't wanna leave mastah!" Gir cried to Dib and Gaz.

"We'll get him out soon." Dib promised the robot.

"He'll be lonely and scared." Gir objected.

"So what, you're going to wait out here for him? What if it rains?" Gaz asked coldly.

"She's right, Gir, I'll be fine. I AM ZIM. There is nothing that can defeat me!" Zim reassured.

"Okay..." Gir reluctantly agreed.

"We'll be back soon, Zim." Dib promised as he walked towards his house.

Zim felt better after his promise to Gir that he would be fine, now he had to make it true and he knew just how he was going to accomplish that.

The next morning it was time for school and though Dib was scared, he knew he had to go and face whatever would throw at him, after all, it's not like he can be trapped in the underground classroom. To his horror, he noticed Gaz was getting ready for school.

"Gaz, I really think you should stay home today, I'll... I'll even cover for you." Dib promised.

"I'm not scared, besides, I want to see how the teachers will react to my revenge of the underground classrooms." Gaz replied nonchalantly.

"Fine, but be careful." Dib gave in.

At school, Dib noticed that every window in the skool was broken. He sighed inwardly at Gaz's revenge. He didn't have long to think about it however, because a few moments later, stormed though the door and glared angrily at Dib.

"You're supposed to be in the underground classroom."

"You sealed it off, while my friends and I were in there." Dib stated accusingly.

"So I did, and you were supposed to accept your punishment!" replied angrily, "It appears that one of your friends behaved." She continued, pointing at the empty desk.

Whispers spread like wildfire across the classroom. All the students believed Dib was crazy and that anything he said shouldn't be taken seriously, but if Mrs. Bitters admitted to sealing off the underground classrooms while students were still inside it, maybe this once they would have to take Dib's side.

"Wait, is Zim still in there?" Penny, a student from the Skool asked. Dib nodded slowly.

"Isn't that a bit much, , I mean... I understand moving students to a dark, underground room for skool if there isn't enough room or the students are particularly crazy, but sealing them off seems like a bit much, don't you think?" Zita spoke up.

"No, I don't and neither does the principle . Now quiet down children." responded.

"How does the students who are sent there get lunch?" The Letter "M" asked.

"They don't. They don't go home either. Now we need to move onto our first lesson of the day." replied. For once, the skoolchildren didn't listen to her. They were all making comments about how unfair the underground classroom was, knowing that students from their class were sent there.

"Class, if you don't quiet down this instant. There will be punishments. Just like Gaz is about to face after the trouble she gave us for the morning." threatened. Dib was moved by the students rare showing of compassion, especially towards anything that he was involved in, but he was also scared. This had never happened in 's class before and he would be lying if he said he didn't think was capable of doing something just as horrible to the whole class. All the students stared at him, deciding to let Dib take the lead. Dib began to sweat nervously at everyone depending on him to make the right choice.

"We... We can't do too much by telling that we're angry over the conditions she and the skool put us though. We have to show her and the principle." Dib addressed the classmates. He stood up to walk out of the classroom in protest and the other students followed him. Though Dib was thinking about the day he finally convinces his classmates to believe him, he never thought of it happening the way it did that day. Not only was he afraid and unsure of what to do, but they were defending Zim, not proving that he was an alien.

"We need to find a way to free Zim and I think there should be a group that goes to the other classrooms, make sure nothing happens to them please start with 's class." Dib instructed. Five classmates formed a group then ran down the halls. Dib would have wanted them to be a little more discreet, but he was just happy people were listening to him.

"Go back to class now." The principle commanded.

"What if we refuse?" Dib asked Difiantly.

"Then we'll have to punish all of you, I could easily ban lunch or lower the quality of the food even lower, or I could take away recess, I could make the desks out of nails. I can do anything." The principle explained.

"You guys need to go back to class. I'll find a way to free Zim. I just... I'm not going to let you guys be punished for my dumb idea. Maybe I am just some crazy person. Maybe it's hopeless, maybe I can't do anything." Dib said to the classmates.

"Yes, that's a good way to think, just give up and go back to class, you don't want to make things worse do you?"

"No, Dib. You must be crazy if you think we're gonna give in. The skool is awful and needs to change, our lunches are horrible, we have to just be quiet while teachers drone on about the end of the world and our classmates- our friends, have been sent to the classroom for far too long." Gretchen argued. The other classmates stood by Dib as well and voiced their concerns about the skool.

"My younger brother was sent there once. Mommy said he was just sent to a different school, but I don't believe that. He's never coming back, is he?" Another student asked. His question was met without an answer.

Dib stood breathlessly after hearing the classmates that had so often called him crazy standing up for him and as students from other classes began to march towards the protest.

"Do your worst." Dib stated with his newfound confidence in the mission.

"Alright." The principle nodded he walked calmly to the PA system.

"Initiate full lockdown." He said into the system, the doors and windows leading outside all locked.

"Is that all you got?" Chunk yelled. The principle smiled.

"Not quite." He replied. Suddenly the walls began to shake and close in. The students all began to scream and run in various directions. Some pulled on the doors, some tried to break windows, most were crying and screaming.

"You're insane. You're doing all of this just because we disagree with you!" Dib shouted over the screams of his classmates. The walls continued to close in.

"Let us out!" A student screamed.

"Okay, I give up, just make it stop!" Dib shouted.

"Yeah, we'll go to class and we'll never complain again!" Another student agreed.

"It's too late for apologies." The principle said, still smiling.

"You'll be squashed too!" Dib shouted. The principle turned shadowy just like does.

"Will I?" He asked.

"What about the other teachers who can't do that!" shouted, fearing for his safety.

"Too bad for them." The principle explained.

Meanwhile, Zim heard the students screaming and wondered what was going on. Zim's mission was a lie, so it couldn't be the Tallest, could it? Zim briefly wondered why he dreaded the idea of the Tallest causing this but pushed it aside, not wanting to feel like a defect. A hissing sound was heard as something was dissolving the sealant.

"Dib!" Zim cheered believing that the commotion must have something to do with Dib freeing him. Instead of Dib, Zim found a dislodged container of the food that's used in the school cafeteria There was a leak in in and the food inside it dissolved the sealant.

"So the stuff we've been fed dissolves the sealant?" Zim wondered in disgust. He looked towards where the noise was coming from and noticed the walls closing in and everyone panicking. Dib was too busy pleading for the principle to stop what he was doing to notice the hole in the floor. Zim had a brilliant idea. The children would be safe if they were in the underground classrooms if they hid under the desks. The food could be used to open another hole if it was needed to escape afterwards.

"Quick, you'll be safer underground! Follow me. I AM ZIM!" Zim announced. The students and staff, with the exception of the principle looked towards the hole and hurried though it. Dib was the last one to go though the hole.

"Ok, everyone hide under a desk, if there isn't an available one in once classroom, look in the other ones." There was a fury of activity as the students and teachers found hiding spots to protect their heads from any debris that would fall as the walls collapsing. Dib and Zim found desks that were right beside each other but due to the rumbling of the walls, they wouldn't be able to talk to each other. The students and staff closed their eyes and hoped for the best. It felt like hours before it finally ended.

When it did, the students and staff climbed out from their hiding places and noticed holes on the roof where the food dissolved it. The stronger students moved objects in the classroom to make stairs and climbed out shakingly. Many parents were around the skool after hearing the commotion and Zim met up with Gir and hugged him.

"You okay, Gaz?" Dib asked, knowing that sensitivity wasn't Gaz's strong suit and Gaz nodded. Zim and Gir met up with Gaz and Dib.

"I decided that I will help protect others. I can and will be more than a defect. I AM ZIM!" Zim announced.

"I'm glad to hear it Zim," Dib replied.

"Yes, things with defiantly change now that the skool is destroyed and Mrs. Bitters and the principle are nowhere to be found. This is the perfect time for a new start." Zim agreed.

~Alright, sorry for how long this chapter was but this is the end of the story. I realized upon writing this chapter that it's , but I wanted to remain co and I'm not likely to change it. Thank you for reading this.~


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